About

Stop the War was founded in September 2001, in the weeks following 9/11 when George W. Bush announced the "war on terror". It has since been dedicated to ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, bringing the troops home and forcing the British government to change its disastrous foreign policies. We have initiated many campaigns around these issues and are also committed to opposing sanctions and military attacks on Iran, supporting Palestinian rights, opposing racism and defending civil liberties.

Stop the War has organised around 40 national demonstrations, including the largest protests ever held in Britain, most memorably when up to 2 million gathered on London's streets on 15 February 2003. Other events have included thousands of public meetings across the country, direct action in the run up to the war in 2003, including walkouts from schools, colleges and workplaces,two People's Assemblies, international peace conferences, vigils, lobbies of Parliament and anti-war cultural events.

We are open to affiliation by supporting organisations and individual membership for all those who support our aims as set out in our constitution.

Timeline of events: 2001—2011

2001

21 September 2001

Conference

Founding meeting of Stop the War Coalition, Friends Meeting House

22 September 2001

Vigil

Shoulder to Shoulder with the people of Afghanistan at Downing Street

10 October 2001

Meeting

Inaugural meeting of the Guildford Stop the War Coalition at the Friends Meeting House in Guildford (later changed to "Surrey")

13 October 2001

Demo

CND “Stop the war” march to Trafalgar Square against the war in Afghanistan

October 2001

Conference

Stop the war first conference in Islington

3 November 2001

Demo

2000 people marched in Manchester in protest at the bombing of Afghanistan by the US and the UK

18 November 2001

Demo

National demonstration against the bombing of Afghanistan

14 December 2001

Demo

Stop The War Coalition joins D14 Demonstration for a different Europe and a different world Brussels. EU Summit Laeken.

November 2001

Cultural event

At the Royal Court Theatre
Excerpt from Caryl Churchill’s Far and Away
Monologue Homebody/Kabul by Tony Kushner performed by Kika Markham

2002

24 January 2002

Protest

Protest against detention of Al-qaeda Taliban terrorist suspects at the Camp Delta at the US Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on Cuba . Organised by Stop the War Coalition, US American Embassy, London.

26 January 2002

Demo

“Stop Israel’s war on Palestine” protest at the Israel’s Embassy, London

2 March 2002

Demo

Stop the War Coalition march to Trafalgar Square.

26 March 2002

Demo

Stop the War Coalition Don't Attack Iraq rally

28 March 2002

Conference

The Beirut Summit to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon

30 March 2002

Demo

National CND demonstration “Don’t Start Wars”

April 2002

Demo

Demonstration organised by the Muslim Association of Britain

May 2002

Demo

March organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign

5 September 2002

Concert

Live music and Rally “Performers for Peace”, The Camden Centre, London

24 September 2002

Stop the War Coalition picket on the day of the publication of the Dodgy dossier published by the British government

28 September 2002

Demo

Stop the war on Iraq and freedom for Palestine first large demonstration organised by the Stop the War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain coinciding with the Labour Party conference

September 2002

Demo

March + Delegation of writers and actors to Downing Street led by Kika Markham, Jemma Redgrave and Susanna Harker to deliver an open letter against the war signed by over 100 prominent people

September 2002

Concert

First concert for peace with Frankie Armstrong, Leon Rosselson and Robb Johnson

26 -27 October 2002

Conference

Student conference

31 October 2002

Direct actions

Halloween Day of action, Whitehall
Sit-down protest, Westminster
Die-in against the war, Camberwell Art College

9 November
2002

Demo

Demonstration against war organized by the European Social Forum in Florence, Italy

2 December 2002

Action

Whitehall die-in with Mark Thomas & Rob Newman

17-19 December 2002

Conference

First Cairo Conference held in the Conrad Hotel on the banks of the Nile with former President of Algeria, Ahmed Ben Bella, former United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Dr Hans Von Sponeck.

2003

January 2003

Meeting

First Stop the War AGM in Camden Town Hall

18 January 2003

Protest

Stop the War on Iraq Candlelight Vigil, Trafalgar Square

February 2003

Demo

Leading figures from the National Theatre (Ralph Fiennes, Corin,..) with Trevor Nunn, Zoe Wanamaker and Joan Bakewell protested outside the National Theatre in London

Largest demonstration organised by the Coalition against the imminent invasion of Iraq

26 February 2003

Demo

Stop the War demonstration against, Parliament, Westminster, London

1 March 2003

Demo

Birmingham Stop the War demonstration against attack on Iraq

3 March 2003

Cultural Event

The international theatre community performed over 700 readings of Aristophanes’ anti-war play Lysitrata. In London in Parliament Square with readings by Alan Rickman, Lindsay Duncan and Maggie Steed

5 March 2003

Demo

First student walkout

8 March 2003

Demo

March in Manchester

12 March 2003

Conference

Stop the War Coalition People’s Assembly against war in Iraq, Westminster Central Hall

15 March 2003

Demo

Tower Hamlets Stop the War demonstration against attack on Iraq, East London

15 March 2003

Concert

“One Big No” Concert at Shepherd’s Bush Empire

18 March 2003

Protest

Stop the War Coalition lobby of parliament against war in Iraq

19 March 2003

Demo

School strikes against war with Irak

20 March 2003

Spontaneous protests

Invasion of Iraq
Day X
Stop the War Coalition school, college and university students strike and day of action on the first day of the war against Iraq. Protest at Parliament Square

22 March 2003

Demo

National demonstration after the Invasion of Iraq

27 March 2003

Protest

Marking the start of the second week of the invasion of Iraq people continue to take to the streets in protest

29 March 2003

Demo

Demonstration against the war in Iraq

March 2003

Concert

Concert for peace at the Theatre Royal organised by Janie Dee

March 2003
every Friday

Cultural events

At the National “Collateral Damage” free events

March 2003

Concert

“Peace Not War” concert at the Hackney Ocean
Fran Healy played on the 22 March demonstration
Nigel Kennedy played in Trafalgar Square on the first anniversary of the war
Billy Childish and Celia Stothard sang a capella at the Bush demonstration
GM Baby and Peter Doherty played at the ESF rally

5 April 2003

Demo

Stop the War demonstration against attack on Iraq

6 April 2003

Demo

March through the countryside on the way to RAF Fairford American bomber base

2007

Stop the War Coalition demonstration (first full debate on Iraq at Parliament) Westminster, London

10 February 2007

Action

Members of Hackney Stop the War Coalition stage a death march through Hackney against the war in Iraq. East London

21 February 2007

Action

CND projection into the Houses of Parliament - No Trident Replacement. Westminster, London

24 February 2007

Demo

No to Trident, Troops out of Iraq demonstration called by Stop the War, CND and BMI. London

15 March 2007

Protest

STWC & CND hold a no Trident rally in Parliament square

20 March 2007

Conference

People’s Assembly, Central Hall Westminster

29 March- 1 April 2007

Conference

Fifth Cairo Conference

4 June 2007

Concert

The Nightwatchman at Scala King’s Cross
With Tom Morello, lead guitarist with anti-war band Rage against the Machine, Ed Harcourt, Frank Turner, Mc Mark Steel

24 June 2007

Protest

Anti-war protest outside Labour Leadership Conference, Manchester

28 June 2007

Protest

Blair’s last day in office STWC & MFAW protest inside and outside of Downing street

2 August 2007

Demo

School Students Against the War picket Kids Connections an agency employed by the Ministry of Defence to write 40 lesson plans for use in UK schools this September entitled the Defence Dynamics Project. Camden, London

8 October 2007

Demo

Stop the War demonstration on the opening day of Parliament, London.

30 November 2007

Concert

St James Concert
Rhythms for Peace

1 December 2007

Conference

World against War International Peace Conference, London

2008

26 January 2008

Protest

Stop the War Coalition calls for support for End the Siege of Gaza. London

15 February 2008

Demo

5-year anniversary of the 2003 March

15 March 2008

Demo

5-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq demonstration

27-30 March 2008

Conference

Sixth Cairo Conference looked to build upon the 2000 people who attended the fifth conference and to build international cooperation on opposition to the US lead rhetoric against Iran as well the UK’s continued support for US hegemony after the departure of Tony Blair.

3 April 2008

Demo

The Kingblues vs Tony Blair at Westminster Cathedral

24 April 2008

Concert

St James Concert
Illuminations: Concert for Peace

28 May 2008

Action

Attempt of a citizen’s arrest of John Bolton the former US ambassador by activist George Monbiot at Hay festival

16 June 2008

Demo

Demonstration against George Bush’s visit to London

20 September 2008

Demo

Stop the War Coalition and CND protest march outside Labour Party Conference in Manchester

15 November 2008

Conference

Media Workers against the War Conference in London

December 2008

Camp

Camp on the roof of Raytheon's office, North Bristol, 2008

28 December 2008

Protest

Protest over the bombing of Gaza by Israeli war planes.

30 December 2008

Demo

Demonstration outside the Israeli Embassy in South Kensington, London, called by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative and other organisations, to protest at the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza strip

Stop the War demonstrations as Tony Blair arrives to give testimony to the Chilcot enquiry. Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. London
An attempt to make a citizen’s arrest of former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

5 March 2010

Speech

Joe Glenton is sentenced to nine months in jail after going AWOL for two years , and speaking out against the war in Afghanistan.

20 March 2010

Demo

Demonstration against the English Defence League, Bolton

29 March 2010

Protest

Protesters disrupt a Live BBC performance by the Jerusalem Quartet

21 April 2010

Protest

Protest at the Royal Courts of Justice, London for the appeal against Joe Glenton’s sentence

15 May 2010

Action

National Day of Action Nakba Commemoration 2010, Free Palestine

31 May 2010

Protest

Protest over attack on Gaza freedom flotilla

5 June 2010

Conference

National Conference
Stop Islamophobia: defend the Muslim community, Camden, London

5 June 2010

Demo

Gaza Flotilla Demonstration, Central London

22 June 2010

Protest

Budget day Protests, Parliament Square, London

28 June 2010

Meeting

Cut the War, Scrap Trident, Bring the Troops Home meeting in Parliament

12 July 2010

Demo

Gathering outside the Military Corrective Training Centre in Colchester to welcome Joe Glenton just released from prison following his court martial for refusing to fight in Afghanistan

26 July 2010

Demo

Rally Afghanistan Time to go with Joe Glenton, Conway Hall, London

27 July 2010

Hans Blix appears before the Iraq Inquiry to give evidence

4 September 2010

Meeting

Yorkshire wide activists meeting, York

6 September 2010

After the 'move blair's book' campaign, Tony Blair cancelled his book signing at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone's, Central London

16 November 2010

Meeting

“Stop the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan” public meeting

20 November 2010

Demo

March through London calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan. Called by Stop the War Coalition, CND and the British Muslim Initiative.

10 December 2010

Play

Yes- The Adrian Mitchell Show at St Giles in the Fields

2011

21 January 2011

Protest

Protest against Tony Blair at the Chilcot Enquiry where he faces questioning around the invasion of Iraq, London